Centralized EV Charging Control via Remote Intelligence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electric vehicle charging stations are complex and expensive due to the need for 'intelligence' within the station to manage user identification, payment, and charging processes, limiting user comfort, adaptability, and scalability.
Innovation Solution
A system where the 'intelligence' is centralized in a remote computer, with charging stations acting as physical points that communicate with a central computer via a communication device, allowing devices within the station to emulate their functions and states, reducing the need for local processing and enhancing flexibility and maintainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If intelligence is embedded within the charging station to autonomously control user identification, payment, and charging processes, then user comfort and functionality are improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the intelligent control functions (user identification, payment processing, charging control) from the physical charging station and relocates them to a remote central computer. The charging station is reduced to simple hardware components (power connection, switch, measuring device) that execute commands remotely, thereby reducing local complexity while maintaining full functionality through cloud-based intelligence.
2Reliability
If powerful computers are installed in charging stations to handle autonomous control and monitoring, then charging process reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The computing power and intelligence are extracted from the charging station hardware and consolidated in a remote central computer. This allows the charging station to be manufactured as simple, reliable hardware without expensive local processors, while the central computer provides the necessary computational capabilities for reliable control and monitoring of multiple stations.
3Extent of automation
If charging stations are designed with autonomous intelligence and multiple functions, then service capability is improved, but adaptability to user requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptability by moving intelligence to software running on a central computer, allowing charging station functionality to be dynamically adjusted based on user requirements. The system can adapt to different users, vehicles, and conditions by updating software logic remotely, making the service capability both autonomous and highly adaptable without being constrained by fixed hardware configurations.
4Extent of automation
If charging stations include comprehensive local intelligence for payment and user identification, then service functionality is improved, but scalability of the charging network deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal architecture where a single central computer provides intelligence for multiple charging stations. This multi-functional setup allows the same software platform to manage numerous stations, enabling easy scaling of the charging network. New stations can be added by connecting simple hardware to the existing central computer infrastructure, eliminating the need for expensive local intelligence in each station and dramatically improving network scalability.
Data Source
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AI summary
System for the electrical charging of devices, more particularly of vehicles, comprising a charging station (4), at least two arrangements (10, 12, 14) supporting the charging process of the devices and assigned to the charging station and a communication arrangement (8) for the communication with a central computer (6) remote from the charging station (4). To increase the flexibility of a charging station and reduce the production costs, it is proposed that the central computer (6) stores a charging station object (40) representing the charging station, wherein the charging station object (40) has the arrangement objects (42, 44) representing the arrangements, and the charging station object (40) communicates via the communication arrangement (8) with the arrangements (10, 12, 14) in such a manner that the arrangement objects (42, 44) exchange at least status information with the arrangements (10, 12, 14).